Simon Foster - CHINA's Three Gorges & Xi'an

People's Concert Hall(daily 8 am-6:30 pm; $5). This 1950s building, above, modeled on Beijing's Temple of Heaven, is far more impressive from the outside, particularly as the interior and the adjacent Renmin Hotel were undergoing renovation at the time of writing. Nevertheless, if you come to see the Three Gorges Museum, the Concert Hall dominates the opposite side of the square and can hold 4,000 people.

Luohan Temple(daily 8 am-5 pm; $5). This small, intriguing temple to the east of Jiefangbei is definitely worth a visit. As you approach the temple you'll see a collection of incense shops that lead to its entrance. Once inside, the first thing you'll come across is a severely eroded but fascinating collection of Buddhist figures chiseled into the bare rockface. These were originally carved in the Song dynasty and are decorated with flowers, clothing and surrounded by incense, making for an atmospheric first impression of the temple. In the main temple complex itself you'll find the luohan (see Glossary ) for which the temple is named, along with the usual collection of statuary to Sakyamuni and giant incense and candle burners. The temple is still very active and you'll see plenty of monks in attendance, along with folk from all walks of life coming to pray.

Around Chongqing

Dazu(daily 8:30 am-5 pm; $120 for both sites, see text for individual prices; buses from Caiyuan Bus Terminal in Chongqing - $45). If you have the time to head out to Dazu, a hundred miles west of Chongqing, then it's a thoroughly worthwhile two-hour ride. Nestled in the damp, overgrown valleys you'll find thousands of Buddhist statues carved into the rockface, resplendent in (recent) color. Dazu is one of the few southern examples of Buddhist cave art and many of the astoundingly detailed carvings date from the Song and Tang dynasties. The carvings are found in two principal areas, with Baoding Shan($80) the most impressive, while Bei Shan($60) has the earliest work. At Baoding Shan you'll find nearly 10,000 cliff-side figures spread around a U-shaped cove. Carvings include a grand reclining Sakyamuni at the bottom of the and an amazing thousand-armed Guanyin.Baoding Shan can get busy so it's best to come around lunchtime. Or if you're looking for more solitude try quieter Bei Shan, but it's less popular for a reason and the carvings here pale in comparison. You can take a bus between the two sites for $3.

Galleries, Shows & Theaters

For evening entertainment you could check out the nightly hour-long shows at the Huguang Guild Museumin Chaotianmen. They feature a variety of acts, including acrobatics, dancing, singing and Szechuan mask-changing opera. Shows start at 8 pm and tickets cost from $98 to $288, which includes tea and snacks – call tel.023-6391-2798 for reservations.

Shopping

The pedestrianized streets around the Victory Monument are Chongqing's main shopping district and are lined with malls, shops, banks and fast-food outlets. For an interesting (and potentially alarming) little stroll, you could walk along Shihuishi Lu, home to a fresh (and live) food market. Everyday needs can be met at the Carrefouron Cangbai Lu, or at Trust-Martwhich is in the shopping center to the north of the People's Concert Hall.

Where to Stay

While most visitors don't stay, if you do you'll find Chongqing's hotels generally offer good value. For an early departure you might want to stay down by the docks in Chaotianmen, but otherwise the best accommodations are in the center of town around Jiefangbei.

Chaotianmen Hotel, 18 Xingyi Jie (tel.023-6371-3370). Handy for the boats (but not for town), friendly, comfortable and with good views over the river, the Chaotianmen's downside is its price, which is above the odds. @ $$$

Chongqing Guesthouse, 235 Minsheng Lu (tel.023-6384-5888, www.cq-hotel.com). Well-located, comfortable and friendly, this is one of Chongqing's longstanding hotels and offers good value. It is deservedly popular, although the pool and health center are a little grubby. FC/SW/@ $$-$$$

Harbor Plaza, Wuyi Lu (tel.023-6370-8888, www.harbour-plaza.com/hpcq). One of the more upscale places in town, the Harbor Plaza offers a central location, with good rooms and facilities, including a great fitness center. FC/SW/@ $$$$$$

Hui Xian Lou, 186 Minzu Lu (tel.023-6384-5101). If you're on a tight budget and want to stay in the center of town then this could be the place for you. Rooms are small and musty but passable and discounts of 50% are standard. $$

Marriott, 77 Qingnian Lu (tel.023-6388-8888, www.marriotthotels.com). Along with the Harbor Plaza, this is the best-situated of Chongqing's international chains, offering comfortable rooms and all the usual amenities. FC/SW/@ $$$$$

Milky Way, 49 Datong Lu (tel.023-6380-8585, www.cqyinhe.com). The name hardly fits the mundane and functional rooms, but this is offset by a central location and reasonable prices. @ $$

Sanxia, 1 Shaanxi Lu (tel.023-6355-5555). The Sanxia is the best budget option by the port, offering a range of different kinds of rooms, all of which are clean and the better ones have views over the river. $-$$

Where to Eat

Chongqing is reputedly the home of hotpot ( huoguo ) and is a great place to sample this spicy bubbling broth. But if you can't take the heat there are regular Chinese restaurants along with the usual Western fast-food options, most of which are found around Jiefangbei. Many Chinese restaurants don't have English menus, but in hotpot places the food to be put into the pot is often on display, so you can just point at what you want.

See Travel & Living Information, Food & Drink, for an explanation of restaurant price codes.

American Cowboy, 173, Renmin Lu (daily 11 am-10 pm). If you're visiting the Three Gorges Museum or the People's Concert Hall, then you could pop into this hotpot restaurant, where the choices are laid out buffet-style for you to select, although there are better places in the center of town. $$

Canglong Hotpot, 19, Cangbai Lu (daily 9 am-midnight). A popular place, which serves the yuan-yang style of hotpot, meaning you can choose if you want it cooked in the spicy broth or its less potent, but still delicious, alternative. $$

Common Tales, 3F Nanguo Lijing Building, 46Cangbai Lu (daily 9:30 am-midnight). Although the décor resembles a school canteen more than a great restaurant, this place serves some seriously spicy hotpot and enjoys good views over the Jialing River. $$

Daxigoudian Hexi Hotpot, 125 Renmin Lu (daily 9 am-midnight). On the northern side of the People's Concert Hall this is another hotpot place with a range of options including pots divided into four sections to make finding your food easier! $$

Lao Szechuan, Minzu Lu, next to KFC and the Huixian Lou Hotel (daily 10:30 am-2 pm & 4:30-9 pm). As you might guess from the name, this place specializes in spicy Szechuan food and includes favorites such as gongbao jiding (diced chicken with chili and peanuts) and yuxiang rousi (fish-flavored pork). They have a limited English menu. $$-$$$